Chapter IV.—Of
Serapion the Deacon on whose Account John becomes Odious to his
Clergy.

Being such in disposition and
manners, and promoted to the episcopacy, John was led to conduct
himself toward his clergy with more than proper superciliousness,
designing to correct the morals of the clergy under him. Having thus
chafed the temper of the ecclesiastics, he was disliked by them; and so
many of them stood aloof from him as a passionate man, and others
became his bitter enemies. Serapion, a deacon of his retinue, led him
to alienate their minds still more from him; and once in presence of
the whole assembled clergy he cried out with a loud voice to the
bishop—‘You will never be able to govern these men, my
lord, unless you drive them all with a rod.’ This speech of his
excited a general feeling of animosity against the bishop; the bishop
also not long after expelled many of them from the church, some for one
cause, and some for another. And, as it usually happens when persons in
office adopt such violent measures, those who were thus expelled by him
formed combinations and inveighed against him to the people. What
contributed greatly to gain credence for these complaints was the fact
that the bishop was not willing to eat with any one else, and never
accepted an invitation to a 140feast.
On account of this the plot against him became widespread. His reasons
for not eating with others no one knew with any certainty,840840 These reasons are given by Palladius as follows:
‘He was accustomed to eat alone, as I partially know, for these
reasons: first, he drank no wine…secondly, his stomach was, on
account of certain infirmities, irregular, so that often the food
prepared for him was repugnant, and other food not put before him was
desired. Again he at times neglected to eat, lengthening out his meal
until evening, sometimes being absorbed in ecclesiastical cares and
sometimes in contemplation;…but it is a custom with table
companions if we do not relish the same articles of food which they do,
or laugh at insignificant witticisms…to make this an occasion of
ill-speech.’ Palladius, de Vita S. Joannis, 12.
but some persons in justification of his conduct state that he had a
very delicate stomach, and weak digestion, which obliged him to be
careful in his diet, and therefore he ate alone; while others thought
this was due to his rigid and habitual abstinence. Whatever the real
motive may have been, the circumstance itself contributed not a little
to the grounds of accusation by his calumniators. The people
nevertheless continued to regard him with love and veneration, on
account of his valuable discourses in the church, and therefore those
who sought to traduce him, only brought themselves into contempt. How
eloquent, convincing, and persuasive his sermons were, both those which
were published by himself, and such as were noted down by short-hand
writers as he delivered them, why should we stay to declare? Those who
desire to form an adequate idea of them, must read for themselves, and
will thereby derive both pleasure and profit.

840 These reasons are given by Palladius as follows:
‘He was accustomed to eat alone, as I partially know, for these
reasons: first, he drank no wine…secondly, his stomach was, on
account of certain infirmities, irregular, so that often the food
prepared for him was repugnant, and other food not put before him was
desired. Again he at times neglected to eat, lengthening out his meal
until evening, sometimes being absorbed in ecclesiastical cares and
sometimes in contemplation;…but it is a custom with table
companions if we do not relish the same articles of food which they do,
or laugh at insignificant witticisms…to make this an occasion of
ill-speech.’ Palladius, de Vita S. Joannis, 12.